Abergavenny officially has its own car sharing club after just over a year of consultations and planning to launch the scheme in the town.

The club, which is operated by TrydaNi - a community-owned EV car sharing service operating across Wales - has seen the introduction of a Kia Niro in Fairfield Car Park, just outside the town centre.

The group, Greener Abergavenny, has been working with TrydaNi to garner sufficient local interest to launch the scheme. Gary Smith, who is from the town, said he hopes locals will take advantage of the opportunity.

“We worked hard to raise awareness of the scheme and generate sufficient local interest to make Abergavenny a priority location for TrydaNi,” he said.

“We then worked closely with Abergavenny Town Council and Monmouthshire County Council to identify a suitable location for the vehicle and charging infrastructure.”

“We are delighted to have led the introduction of TrydaNi into Monmouthshire. The site has space for two vehicles, meaning that as demand grows, a second EV could be added. Members can also book electric vehicles operated by TrydaNi at nine other locations across Wales.”

“We hope local residents will take advantage of this opportunity, and that other towns across Monmouthshire will now follow our lead.”

It is hoped that residents will see the car sharing scheme as a viable alternative to owning a vehicle while also helping the environment by driving with zero emissions. It is completely free to join Abergavenny’s new car club via the TrydaNi app. There is an hourly charge to hire the vehicle and a milage fee.

Each car club also has its own WhatsApp group so members can stay in touch about when they’re booking the car.

Abergavenny’s Deputy Mayor, Cllr Gareth Wilde, said, “This is an ethical initiative that uses cutting-edge technology to provide shared resources in a sustainable way. We hope it will help reduce the number of vehicles on our roads while giving residents access to affordable and environmentally friendly transport.”